Double Impatiens plant named ‘Balolerose’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Double Impatiens plant named ‘Balolerose’, characterized by its fully double pink-colored flowers, dark green-colored foliage, compact upright and mounded growth habit and excellent basal branching.

Latin name of the genus and species of plant claimed: Impatienswalleriana.

Variety denomination: ‘Balolerose’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Double Impatiensplant botanically known as Impatiens walleriana and hereinafter referredto by the cultivar name ‘Balolerose’.

The new cultivar was developed by the inventor in a controlled breedingprogram during November 2000 at Elburn, Ill. The objective of thebreeding program was to develop new Impatiens cultivars with numerousfully double flowers, excellent basal branching, and upright, compactgrowth habit.

The female (seed) parent of ‘Balolerose’ was the proprietary Impatienswalleriana selection designated ‘3438-1’ (not patented) characterized byits vigorous growth habit, purple-colored flowers, and darkgreen-colored foliage. The male (pollen) parent of ‘Balolerose’ was theproprietary Impatiens walleriana selection ‘3357-3’ (not patented)characterized by its vigorous upright habit, fully double red-coloredflowers, and dark green-colored foliage. ‘Balolerose’ was discovered andselected as one flowering plant within the progeny of the statedcross-pollination in September of 2001 and was initially designated‘7544-4’.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in WestChicago, Ill., has demonstrated that the characteristics of the newcultivar, as herein described, reproduce true to type and are firmlyfixed and retained through successive generations of such asexualpropagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype mayvary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature,light intensity, and day length without, however, any change inphenotype.

It was repeatedly found that the cultivar of the present invention:

1. Exhibits fully double dark pink-colored flowers,

2. Forms dark green-colored foliage,

3. Exhibits a good basal branching character, and

4. Exhibits a compact, upright and mounded growth habit.

Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the parents primarilyin flower color.

Of the many commercially available Double Impatiens cultivars known tothe inventor, ‘Balolerose’ is most similar to ‘Sparkler Rose’ (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 9,603). However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted inWest Chicago, Ill., plants of the new cultivar differed from plants of‘Sparkler Rose’ in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of ‘Balolerose’ are more floriferous than plants of ‘SparklerRose’.

2. The flowers of the plants of ‘Balolerose’ have more petals than theflowers of the plants of ‘Sparkler Rose’, and

3. The flowers of the plants of ‘Balolerose’ are a uniform color whilethe flowers of the plants of ‘Sparkler Rose’ are bicolor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show as nearly true as it is reasonablypossible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typicalflower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. Colors in thephotographs differ slightly from the color values cited in the detaileddescription, which accurately describes the colors of ‘Balolerose’. Theplants were grown for 8 weeks in a greenhouse at West Chicago, Ill.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the overall growth and flowering habitof ‘Balolrose’.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close up view of a single flower of ‘Balolerose’.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is TheR.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England,1995 edition, except where general color terms of ordinary significanceare used. The color values were determined on Jul. 16, 2003 between10:00 and 11:45 a.m. under natural daylight conditions.

The following measurements and comparisons describe plants produced fromcuttings taken from stock plants and grown under conditions comparableto those used in commercial practice. Plants were grown in 10 cm potsfor 8 weeks while utilizing a soilless growth medium. Greenhousetemperatures were maintained at approximately 65°-75° F. during the dayand approximately 55°-62° F. during the night. Greenhouse light levelswere maintained at approximately 4,000-6,000 footcandles.

Botanical classification: Impatiens walleriana cultivar ‘Balolerose’.

Parentage:

Female (seed) parent.—Proprietary Impatiens walleriana selectiondesignated ‘3438-1’.

Male (pollen) parent.—Proprietary Impatiens walleriana selectiondesignated ‘3357-3’.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal tip.

Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 7-14 days with the shorter timesgenerally being experienced in the summer and the longer times in thewinter.

Time to develop roots.—Approximately 21 days.

Root description.—Fine, fibrous.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching.

Plant description:

Habit of growth.—Compact with good basal branching. A mature plant, 8weeks after the planting of a rooted cutting, commonly measuresapproximately 21.8 cm in height and approximately 33.6 cm in width(plant spread).

Plant form.—Upright and mounded.

Lateral branches.—Quantity: Approximately 3 per plant. Length:Approximately 15.7 cm. Diameter: Approximately 9 mm. Texture: Glabrous.Color: 148B with stripes and spots of 183A, especially around nodes.Internode length: Approximately 2.3 cm.

Foliage.—Type: Simple. Arrangement: Alternate. Shape: Ovate. Apex:Acuminate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Crenate/cilate. Texture: Glabrous.Venation pattern: Pinnate, arcuate. Size of mature foliage: Length:Approximately 4.5 cm. Width: Approximately 2.9 cm. Color of maturefoliage: Upper surface: 147A with veins and mid-vein of 146C. Lowersurface: 146B with blotches of 176B and veins of 146C. Petiole: Length:Approximately 1.5 cm. Petiole diameter: 2 mm. Petiole texture: Bothsurfaces are glabrous. Petiole color: Both surfaces are 147C.

Flowering description:

Flowering habit.—Freely flowering.

Natural flowering season.—Year round in greenhouse environment.Flowering is continuous from spring until fall in the garden.

Lastingness of individual bloom.—Approximately 5-7 days.

Quantity of flowers.—Approximately 7 flowers and 7 buds per stem.

Flower bud rate of opening.—Generally it takes 7-10 days for buds toprogress from first color to fully open flowers.

Mature flower buds (just before opening).—Shape: Ovoid. Length:Approximately 1.3 cm. Diameter: Approximately 9 mm. Color of petals:52C.

Flower description.—Type — Fully double. Shape: Round. Diameter:Approximately 4.1 cm. Depth: Approximately 2.3 cm. Aspect: Slightlycupped. Borne: Above foliage arising from leaf axils and facing upwardor outward. Flowers are not persistent or fragrant.

Petals.—Arrangement: Imbricate. Number per flower: Approximately 33.Margin: Entire. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Attenuate. Texture: Smooth.Appearance: Iridescent. Size of outermost petals: Length: 2.2 cm. Width:1.9 cm. Size of innermost petals: Length: 1.5 cm. Width: 1.3 cm.

Flower color.—Upper surface of petals when first opening: N57C. Lowersurface of petals when first opening: 52C. Upper surface of petals whenfully opened: N57A with base of 59B. Lower surface of petals when fullyopened: 52C. Petal color fading to: 72C.

Calyx.—Quantity of sepals: Three with lower sepal modified into a spur.Apex: Acuminate. Texture of both surfaces: Glabrous. Lateral sepalshape: Lanceolate. Lateral sepal length: Approximately 3 mm. Lateralsepal width: Approximately 1 mm. Later sepal color: Both surfaces are144C. Lower sepal shape: Ovate. Lower sepal length: Approximately 1 cm.Lower sepal width: Approximately 9 mm. Lower sepal color: 150D with tipof 150C.

Spur.—Quantity: One per flower. Length: Approximately 3.3 cm. Diameterat base: Approximately 2 mm. Diameter at tip: Approximately 0.4 mm.Color: 182C.

Peduncles.—Length: Approximately 1.6 cm. Diameter: Approximately 1 mm.Texture: Glabrous. Strength: Strong. Angle to stem: Acute. Color: 152D.

Reproductive organs.—None observed.

Seed and fruit development: Neither seed nor fruit production has beenobserved.

Disease and pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common toimpatiens has not been observed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Double Impatiensplant named ‘Balolerose’ substantially, as herein shown and described,which:
 1. Exhibits fully double pink-colored flowers,
 2. Forms darkgreen-colored foliage,
 3. Exhibits a good basal branching character, and4. Exhibits a compact upright mounded growth habit.